Moses Lake firm brings Century 21 to ‘hot’ real estate market
Charles H. Featherstone/Columbia Basin Herald Real estate broker Sherri Kasparek stands in front of her offices at West Broadway Avenue and Holly Street in Moses Lake after formally announcing her company’s new franchise agreement with Century 21.
MOSES LAKE — Another local real estate broker has joined forces with a major national real estate franchiser.
Alsted Real Estate officially became Century 21 Alsted Real Estate on Tuesday, throwing a large parking lot party at the company’s office on the corner of West Broadway and Holly Street to celebrate the company’s new partnership.
“They are the largest real estate company in the world,” said Sherri Kasparek, owner and designated broker of Century 21 Alsted Real Estate. “Century 21 has always been in my mind as the best real estate company out there, and one of the most recognized names in the industry.”
Kasparek, who has worked for the company started by her mother for nearly 30 years, said the company’s nine licensed real estate brokers specialize primarily in residential real estate, though they sell a little of everything — vacant land, farms and waterfront property, as well as arrange leases.
“We’re pretty well rounded,” she said.
Founded in 1971, Madison, New Jersey-based Century 21 has around 12,600 offices in 83 countries, according to a Century 21 press release.
While she wouldn’t talk specifically about her company’s sales figures, Kasparek said part of the desire to franchise is to help grow her business in a very competitive real estate market that has started attracting serious national interest.
In late July, Gary Mann Real Estate and Team Up Real Estate announced they were formally merging and franchising with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate to create one of the largest realty brokerage firms in the region.
According to the home listing website Zillow, the median price of a single-family home in Moses Lake is roughly $234,000, with the market described as a “very hot” sellers’ market.
“We’ve got a good market out there right now, and we are seeing a lot of sales,” Kasparek said. “But there aren’t enough listings out there for all the brokers.”
Much of the interest in the local real estate market is coming from outside, she said, from people leaving big cities like Seattle and buying retirement homes or relocating their businesses in Moses Lake.
“There’s just so much going on in Moses Lake that’s helping to drive the market here,” she said. “But we’re still cheaper than Wenatchee and the Tri-Cities by far, and that says something.”
Despite being a relatively small real estate brokerage, Kasparek says, she believes her company is now well-positioned to grow even in a very competitive market.
“I’m not one of the big boys, I’m not the biggest company out there, so we’re a small company, but we’re making efforts to grow, and Century 21 is going to help that,” she said.
Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at [email protected].